Savage gets a sequel

Indie game developer S2 Games is taking another shot at making two great genres taste great together with the upcoming real-time strategy/first-person-shooter hybrid, Savage 2: A Tortured Soul. Set for release in summer of 2006, Savage 2 returns players to the same primitive world of the future to once again take the role of a grunt unit mixing it up in combat or as an unseen commander issuing orders and coordinating battle plans.

One of the main focuses of improvement for the developers has been on the visual side of things, as the team has incorporated a boatload of graphical features like bump-mapping, self-shadowing characters, reflective water, point lighting, and enhanced particle effects on spells. A teaser trailer on the game's official Web site gives a good look at the modifications to the environments and characters.

Beyond the new look of Savage 2, the gameplay is also being revamped, with on-the-field officers to bridge the gap between commanders and foot troops, characters tailored to multiple play styles--from speedy FPS action to slower-paced third-person role-playing gameplay--and a new tutorial mode to help lower the learning curve.

For more on where S2 Games is coming from, check out GameSpot's verdict on the original Savage: The Battle for Newerth.